The Prophets' Vision
by Jou-chan
Summary: The Ronins respond to an ill-fated prophesy and battle for the Earthrealm's existance. But a last-ditch effort by a mage sends the Ronins to the Outerworld, w/out their armors. Alone in an unfamiliar world, the Ronins must fight for their lives.
1. The Prophets' Vision: Prologue

The Prophets' Vision

A Ronin Warriors Fanfiction

_By Jou-chan_

_Disclaimers:  _I don't own Ronin Warriors, or any of the Ronin characters, or the armor, or Sage's hair. But the plot line _is _my original idea, and many of the characters added are my original characters. So I guess anything you didn't see in the television show is mine.

_Author's Notes:  _This is going to be a really long story. I'm warning you up front. There will be many chapters. I repeat; there will be _many _chapters. But I really appreciate feedback, so please review. Press a button. Save an author.

**_The Prophets' Vision: _**_Prologue_

            He could feel it in his bones. That feeling, that ominous feeling, that something was about to happen. That life was about to take a turn for the worse. But not just for him, for all of them. 

It was so strong, in fact, that it drew him out of bed. He had no idea what time it was, only that it was very, very late. Or early, whichever you prefer. But one thing was certain:  it was no time to be up and about, and yet he found himself doing so. 

He managed to slip into a pair of jeans he left lying haphazardly on a chair by his bed, then slipped out his bedroom door and started down the stairs. Running a hand through his tousled hair, he paused near the last step as he noticed he wasn't the only one up.

The blonde before him gave him that look that read something was clearly wrong, as he frowned, pacing up and down the room. On the couch near him, the bearer of Torrent sat rigidly, his hands folded together rather nervously, as if he were waiting for something.

"So you feel it, too?" Ryo asked, after a moment's hesitation.

Cye looked up at him, a slightly worried expression on his face. "How could we not? It's… incredible… not even against Tulpa did I feel anything like this."

Sage was still quiet, still pacing, his eyebrows knit in concentration.

Ryo was about to ask him something, but the sound of someone descending down the stairs caught his attention. Both Rowen and Kento had risen from their beds, both of them sporting the same wary look, both of them feeling the same thing that had gotten all five of them out of bed.

"I don't like this at all." Kento hissed quietly.

"What could it possibly be?" Rowen asked, to no one in particular, as his analytical mind going over all the recent events, news reports, anything that might lend him a clue in figuring out this mystery that bothered them enough to wake them all up in the still of the night.

Sage stopped then, finally looking up at them with his piercing gaze. "Whatever it is, it has to do with the armors." He went to the closet then, and began pulling out their jackets, his face set in stone. "I think perhaps we should all go for a little stroll."

Ryo nodded, and quickly reached for his own jacket, as did the others. Silently, single file, they all walked out the door. The night air was cool and crisp, but at the moment, none of them seemed to notice as they set their attention on more pressing matters. Wordlessly, they all climbed into the jeep, and were soon on their way into town, Sage driving them.

Sage was not one to rush to a conclusion, Ryo knew. And he had to admit he felt it himself; whatever was happening, whatever it might be, it was calling on his armor. On the power of Wildfire, and all the other armors. It was almost drawing them in, in a sense. Except, as they neared the town, the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach only got worse, and he gripped the bottom of his seat a little too hard.

They all saw the light at the same time. It was above them, in the sky, slowing circling downwards. It almost seemed as though two kinds of light emanated from it, intertwining themselves together into one great big ball of glowing light.

Ryo didn't really remember climbing out of the jeep. But somewhere along the line, he did, along with the rest of the Ronins, to look at this strange phenomenon in the sky. As he did, however, a soft, alien chant filled his ears, reverberating to his very core. He found that he couldn't tear his eyes away as the glowing orb finally touched down, a fair distance in front of him. But as the glowing died, the chanting became louder.

And they all saw at the same time the source of the chant:  two figures, standing straight, with their arms to the sky. And as they stood, entranced by the chanting, and the soft light that seemed to shimmer around them, they slowly began to understand the words.

_"A fall from grace, to another place,  in times different, shall it crash and become as one. One of light and one of dark, one rising from victory and one thirsting for freedom. As one it becomes, the worlds will merge, and darkness shall fall. And so it is seen, so it shall be."_

There was a sudden burst of light, and each Ronin shielded his eyes out of reflex. The light was immediately followed by a loud, ripping sounds, and a sudden chill washed over them. When Ryo uncovered his eyes, squinting slightly, the sight took him by surprise. The world, it seemed, had turned upside down. The city of Toyama was still there, but it was joined by another scene, a bloody, barren land. The two wavered back and forth, the sounds fluctuating accordingly. Never had he seen anything like it, not even in his wildest dreams.

And that's when the _things _appeared; big, rusty colored beings, oozing with slime. Bodies covered in scales, large ridges where their spines aught to be, and a face so incredibly and heinously warped. Hideous was too nice of a thing to say. They were putrid. Ryo felt in his heart that they were the epitome of everything bad in the world. He didn't have to tell the others to don their armors; they could feel it too.

The battle began. The ugly brutes were inhumanly strong, but atrociously stupid, and the fact grew more conspicuous as the fight wore on. But when the last one fell, Ryo wiped his brow and looked back to the rip in dimensions. Something else was coming, something much more powerful. He could feel the other Ronins' tension, their anxiety, as they waited, without a single noise being made. In fact, the other thing Ryo could hear was the beat of his own heart, and the quickness of his breath.

And suddenly more figures stepped out of the rift. Three of them, all wearing strange, monk like clothes, and holding a staff in their hands. Slowly, the staffs began to glow, each one a different color, and Ryo felt overwhelmed with the power they gave off. He could feel the kanji on his forehead burning fiercely, the heat of his armor as he began to gather his energy. He knew, in the very depths of his being, that all would be lost if they failed to win this battle.

And so it began. And as the war raged on between the two forces, the two beings watched on, with faces set in stone. One glowing a warm, red color that filled a soul with love and joy, and the will to go on, while the other glowed a darker, colder color that left one feeling hopeless and frightened, depleted of all its natural life force. As they stood, watching and waiting for the outcome, they continued their chant. It was soft and melodious now, and vibrated so that one could not only hear it but also feel it, coursing through their veins and swimming in their head. It was a strange, urethral tune, and the voices of the two weaved together so intricately that it sounded as if there were more singing than just the two of them.

In time, long after the war ended and its history was recorded, the two became known as the Prophets. One of the Sun, and one of the Moon. One of good, and one of evil.

It seemed to Ryo that the battle was lasting days... weeks, even. Whenever he thought the outcome was certain, that one side would emerge victorious and the other would fail, the tides seemed to change and the war would rage on, each side taking and giving their share of hits.

But suddenly, something was happening. The sky was darkening rapidly, while lightening flashed and the thunder roared above them, sending shivers down their spines. The wind grew strong and fierce, whipping at their skin so harshly that it stung at impact. And then, as the sky could get no blacker, a flash of brilliant light took place, and the sky changed once again, shimmering and wavering, as if uncertain of it's true form.

The Ronins stood, watching and waiting, while above them the two figures of the Prophets floated, the same unnatural glow to them. Wind spiraled around them, straight up into the sky like a column, flashing with unearthly light. The air became very hot, and sparks began to appear, snapping out in all directions around the two bodies.

The last of the three mages looked on, battered and torn from the battle, his breath coming in short, rattled gasps. But somehow, he found the last of his strength, and slowly lifted his arms to the sky. He began to chant again, in that same, alien tongue, but not a word passed by the Ronins.

_"I call upon the Outerworld…outerspirits surround, envelope and devour, until the Earth is once again raw for the shaping. Nightborn creatures circle the sky, Darkair demons travel soundlessly, Serpents of the rivers and seas come forth! I call upon your power, the power of the universe, converge these two worlds into one and bring success to the Outerworld!!"_

Upon his last words the sky began to thunder loudly, and a great bolt of lightening struck down on him, its electric energy running through the mage's body like pure adrenaline. For a moment his very physical existence wavered, his eyes glowing an eerie green as his skin became transparent and his skeleton shown through. Then there was a sudden burst of light again, as though it emitted from his very core. Wispy, glowing tendrils slowly began to stretch forth from his body, far out across the earth and sky.

And then without warning the light disappeared, and the wind and lightening stopped. The silence was deafening, and the very blackness that covered the area was tangible. But the eerie quiet was soon replaced by a slow, deliberate rumbling beneath the Ronins' feet; it felt as though the very land they stood on was breaking up into thousands of tiny pieces. 

The last thing any of them heard was a long, blood-curdling scream. 

_To be continued…_


	2. Queer Monsters and Tour Guides From Hell

The Prophets' Vision 

Ch. 2:  Okay, those are some really big trees.

By the aesthetically pleasing Jou-chan.

_Disclaimers:  _Good freaking grief, it's only the second chapter and I'm getting tired of doing this thing! The only cool part about it is making the first word _italic_! After that, it's all down hill. So I don't own the Ronins, or anything that came from the series. BUT, the strange and totally improbable plot, as well as the characters you've never seen before in your entire existence as an earthly being, are mine. And I'm spent!

_Author's Notes:  _You know, I'm beginning to think that the only reason anyone ever does this is just for the opportunity to put it in italics again. I mean really, everything I put here is usually nonsense anyway. I bet I could fill this up with unintelligible words and people wouldn't notice a thing. Biggerworm, stinker, buttlecock, jicyglesworth, poopface and sporoonka. Ha ha ha! Ha!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was dark. He didn't know why, but it was dark, and he was laying on something not so soft. Realizing the major problem, Ryo opened his eyes and it wasn't so dark any more. And the thing he was currently on was now recognizable:  Kento.

"Oy, Ryo, get off me! You're in serious denial if you think you're any where near a pleasant weight!"

Ryo gently rolled himself off of Hardrock's back, bringing himself to his knees. "Sorry Kento… ouch, stupid twig…"

"……Not so loud…" Sage groaned, and the two glanced to their left to see the blonde holding his head carefully. Cye was sprawled on the ground next to him, looking comatose as all get out. Rowen was nowhere to be seen. 

"Guys," Ryo started, climbing to his feet, "where's Rowen? Do you guys see him?" 

Kento glanced up at him as he helped the now recovered Cye to his feet, and blinked. "Hey, where _is _Hashiba?"

"I'm up here!"

The four of them paused, before turning and looking up, a fair distance, into an extremely large tree. Kento just blinked. "Ro? How the hell did you get up there?"

"I _don't _know! If I knew, I'd do the same thing to get the hell out of here!" The blue-haired one yelled, sounding very exasperated.

Sage closed his eyes, sighing. "Try climbing down. I think the branches are close enough to each other to make that possible."

While Rowen Hashiba, Monkey Man Extraordinaire, started down the length of the tree, Ryo glanced around them, finally realizing something. "Hey guys…we've got a slight problem."

There was a thud as Rowen jumped from the lowest branch, which was only a small seven feet from the ground. He winced slightly, standing up slowly. "Ouch."

Cye glanced to Ryo, noticing Wildfire's gaze wandering around, before doing the same. "Oh…my…"

Kento turned slightly, putting his hands on his hips, rather impressed. "Okay, those are some really big trees." He said, before glancing at the others. "Somehow, I get the feeling we aren't in Toyama anymore."

"No kidding." Ryo muttered, as Rowen let out a low whistle next to him.

Surrounding the boys were trees, huge trees that seemed to touch the sky. Their trunks were wide, spanning at least fifteen feet in length, and the bark was seemingly non-existent. Instead, the trunks were smooth, too smooth for someone to climb. And with the lowest branches still seven or eight feet off the ground, it made it hard to get up there at all. How Rowen got up there was a mystery that they could only guess at. But another strange thing was the foliage. The leaves were very big, like nothing the Ronins had ever seen before, and the colors were strange; wild blues, greens, reds, and purples, vibrant colors that only artists dreamed of. Cye paused, before glancing at the others. "This is…different."

Sage suddenly stopped dead, a look of dread passing over his normally calm features. "What happened to our armors?"

Ryo cursed loudly, instantly coming the same realization:  their armors were gone. His hand fumbled in his pockets; his jean pockets, his jacket pockets, anywhere he could think of, but his orb just wasn't there. Glancing up at the other Ronins, who had been doing the same, he set his jaw. "I don't know about you guys, but I want some answers."

Kento slammed his fist into his hand, quite displeased with the current events. "I don't get it! Where are we and how did we get here?" He looked at the others for support, sighing in a frustrated manner. "I mean, the last thing I remember is a…"

Slowly, Cye finished his sentence, an unreadable look passing over his figure. "…A bloodcurdling scream." A silent glance was shared between the Ronins as Cye's statement sunk in. _He's right_, Ryo thought, suddenly remembering little bits and pieces of the battle that had lead them to where they were, _somebody screamed bloody murder and then everything just went black. What the hell happened to us?_

But time to dwell on that didn't last long as a shrill scream rang in their ears. The sound seemed to increase ten-fold, reverberating off the trees as the air carried it along. Ryo looked at the others quickly, his ears picking up the distinct sound of someone in need of assistance. "Let's rock and roll, guys!" Before anyone could say anything, Ryo was off like a rabbit, jumping over the bushes and running towards the commotion. Sage made a small, disapproving sound, not at all liking the idea of jumping into a battle that they knew nothing about in a place that was completely alien to them. _The most I can do right now is make sure that Ryo doesn't get himself killed_, he thought. They ran through the trees, picking up whatever they thought could be useful in a fight, before finally breaking into another tiny clearing. And the sight in front of them was atrocious. 

"What the hell is _that_?!" Rowen asked sharply, an appalled look on his face. Standing before them was a huge, bear-like creature, standing on its two hind legs. Its skin was hard and crusted, and its spine was lined with horns. Sharp, gnarled claws slashed back and forth, and long, pointed teeth were bared menacingly as it snarled at its prey. The very sound the thing emitted was perhaps the most unearthly thing about it. Instead of a deep, primal growl expected from such a large beast, the sound was a shrill, feminine cry that sounded dangerously close to that of a woman's scream. The Ronins knew instantly how this thing attracted its victims.

Another movement caught their eyes; a figure jumped out from behind the beast's form, crouched and ready to strike. She looked human, but for the fact that her ears were unnaturally long. But the Ronins didn't have time to stare and figure out who she was as the beast let out another girlish roar, making the trees around them vibrate. The girl's lip curled up into a sneer as she wiped her jagged dagger on the hem of her skirt, before twirling it once and then springing into action. She jumped straight up, catching hold of one of the lower branches and swinging herself up on it. The beast cried out in fury, not seeming to notice the Ronins, as she slipped her dagger back into its sheath on her leg, smirking slightly. The girl did notice the boys, however, as she quickly unhooked her bow and reached for an arrow. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her movements never wavered. Stringing the arrow carefully, she aimed for the creature's eyes. She let the arrow fly, quickly stringing another as the first struck its target. The beast screamed in agony, louder than ever, as blood ran down its face.

Ryo took a breath before brandishing his newfound weapon in front of the now blind beast. Gripping the heavy branch tightly, he took careful aim before swinging. The branch crashed down on the creature, sickening crunch sound meeting his ears as his makeshift weapon made contact with the thing's head. Ryo quickly moved out of the way as the beast fell to the ground, small whimpering sounds escaping it as it tried to save itself. The girl, meanwhile, jumped down from the tree, her bow once again in its place on her back, and lifted her leg slightly as she reached for her dagger. The Ronins watched as she plunged the knife deep into the creature's chest, twisting it around before quickly yanking it out and slitting the thing's throat. The ground was soaked with the bluish blood, and from the little that had landed on him, Ryo concluded that it was still warm.

The girl used her skirt to clean her dagger again, glancing up at the Ronins before sticking it back in its sheath. "Who are you?" She asked, not in a very friendly way, as she flicked a strand of dark green hair out of her eyes.

Ryo glanced back at the others, wiping his forehead slightly before answering her. "Strangers here. We don't mean you any harm," he added quickly, noticing the slight narrow of her eyes, "In fact, we would appreciate it greatly if you could help us. See, we're kind of in a jam…"

She gave him a long look, crossing her arms. "You humans want help? That's funny." Her voice turned slightly cold, her tone sarcastic. "Especially when you ask me, of all people."

Rowen blinked, his confusion showing. "Funny? Look lady, we're just lost, okay? We haven't ever been here before, and-" 

She cut him off sharply, her bitterness showing. "That's quite obvious. But if its help you want, better start looking somewhere else."

Ryo was shocked, to say the least. Sage must have noticed the look on his face, and quickly acted before the bearer of Wildfire could say anything that he might later regret. "Listen, Miss, if we've done something wrong, I apologize. But we meant no harm. We heard screaming, and we assumed that someone was in trouble and came to see if we could help, and Ryo did." He said, and gestured towards the tree branch still in Ryo's hand. "At the very least, you could show us the way to the nearest town so that we can regroup and figure out what's going on."

Something that Sage said seemed to work, and the girl pursed her lips, giving the blonde a slightly scrutinizing look before turning and grabbing a small bag from behind a tree. "Fine. Because of him," she said, nodding to Ryo as she slung the bag over her shoulder, "I will take you to the closest human town. After that you're on your own."

"Thanks, eh, Lady." Rowen offered, smiling.

"My name is Aoen, not _Lady_." She said sharply, giving the blue-haired Ronin a steely look. "And I would think it wise not to call me anything else for the duration of our time together." As she turned to go, Rowen gave Ryo a sidelong look, raising his eyebrows. Ryo just gave a weak smile, and shook his head slightly. But inside, he was thinking similar thoughts. _Great, we're stuck with the tour guide from hell. Should have seen this coming._ Gesturing for the others to follow, he carefully stepped around the big, ugly, and now dead beast and followed after the girl, Aoen. 

_To Be Continued…****_


End file.
